I think on average I burn through 3 pairs of shoes a year. I've never gotten a pair resoled. I tend to climb a lot of cracks, so by the time the rubber blows out the leather uppers are also usually thrashed. So I've owned around 20 pairs of climbing shoes and managed to never spend more than $80 on a pair. In my first few years of climbing when I lived down by the Evolv and FiveTen outlets, i got by without ever spending more than $50 on a pair of shoes. Still though, $80 is pretty steep for a product that's only going to last me maybe 4 months. Shoes definitely end up being the most expensive climbing related gear in the long run. I'd probably be a better slab climber if they weren't so expensive, but I'm always reluctant to try out hard slab because I don't want to burn a hole in my shoes.

$80/pair every 4 months is something like 65 cents/day.

In other news: you dudes blowing through your kicks should send em my way. I'll get em resoled and find them new homes, know plenty of kids around who could use a decent pair of shoes with a fresh resole.

Yes Hank, I have two pair of Kendos in my retired climbing shoe pile.Some of the hardest routes have been climbed in the old green Ninjas, one of my favorites, I wore mine so much that my little toe poked through the swede and I would take them to this Korean shoe repair place where the man would carefully examine the shoe with this quizzical look on his face but could never bring himself to ask what the shoes were for, and then they changed the sizing and I quit liking them. I think shoe prices are a direct result of the gyms where most folks have at least two pair and go through them quickly, plus some say gyms wear their shoes more quickly than outdoors. Not blaming gyms I really enjoy my gym time.

I am not supposed say this, but that's ok because I don't use their stuff anymore due to prices and other companies that kick way better deals for something that is inevitably gonna fall apart anyway, but La Sportiva is even ridiculously expensive on ProDeal. The company should stick to the shoes too, they are now entering the ski market with what might be the worst skis on the market. It's so funny too because they don't have any pure bread ski athletes, just a few guides that really don't ski and some of their climbing athletes that really don't ski at all. Too funny if you ask me. Stick to the Shoes La Sportiva and then maybe you won't have so much overhead and you can offer shoes at a reasonable price again.

For those who know the market a pair of TC pros is still gonna set you back just over a Benji after shipping on Pro Deal!

I agree with the OP WTF.

A good place to shop, but it's hit or miss is at fiveten's website under the close outs. It's usually a crap shoot if you find your size especially if you are in the average 8-10 department, but I have scored new shoes between 30 and 50$ by keeping my eye on the closeouts. It's hit or miss, but worth checking once in awhile.

This whole "people who buy new gear are POSERS" thing is lame and tired. There are several ...shall we say... "thrifty" characters on this forum that continually beat this argument into the ground, whether it be for shoes, harnesses, cams, biners, slings, whatever: "You don't EVER need anything new! If you think you need new gear to climb your lame little moderate routes, you're kidding yourself!"

Newsflash: some of us have structured our lives in such a way that we can afford to spend some money on the things we love to do. I wear out shoes fast enough that I like to resole every few months and after a few resoles, replace. I even have a couple of different pairs of shoes for different climbing styles! Guess what, I've bought 2 new harnesses in the last 3 years as well. Guess what else, I actually bought some new cams a while back. And, oh, the blasphemy... some new dyneema runners! Guess I'm just a poser who's under the misguided delusion that these things will make me climb 5.14. Get off your high horse! Some people buy new gear occasionally because they enjoy climbing with their new gear, and they can afford it. Can you fathom that?

If buying new shoes or other gear every now and then is mutually exclusive to your gas money to get to the crag then I pity you. But then again, you probably pity me because I sit behind a desk during the weekdays while you're out climbing 10+ routes per day every day. :-/ To each his own. YOUR WAY is not THE WAY. Not everyone who occasionally buys new gear is a poser who is delusional about what said gear will do for them. And not everyone who sticks to their old crusty gear until it's falling apart is a hard journeyman who's got it all figured out.

In regards to the OP's point, yes 'high-end' climbing shoes are getting pricey. But as some other folks have said, climbing is still a relatively inexpensive outdoor pursuit. It's hard for climbing gear costs to get me that worked up considering how much I've spent on backcountry ski gear in the past 5 years.

This whole "people who buy new gear are POSERS" thing is lame and tired. There are several ...shall we say... "thrifty" characters on this forum that continually beat this argument into the ground, whether it be for shoes, harnesses, cams, biners, slings, whatever: "You don't EVER need anything new! If you think you need new gear to climb your lame little moderate routes, you're kidding yourself!" Newsflash: some of us have structured our lives in such a way that we can afford to spend some money on the things we love to do. I wear out shoes fast enough that I like to resole every few months and after a few resoles, replace. I even have a couple of different pairs of shoes for different climbing styles! Guess what, I've bought 2 new harnesses in the last 3 years as well. Guess what else, I actually bought some new cams a while back. And, oh, the blasphemy... some new dyneema runners! Guess I'm just a poser who's under the misguided delusion that these things will make me climb 5.14. Get off your high horse! Some people buy new gear occasionally because they enjoy climbing with their new gear, and they can afford it. Can you fathom that? If buying new shoes or other gear every now and then is mutually exclusive to your gas money to get to the crag then I pity you. But then again, you probably pity me because I sit behind a desk during the weekdays while you're out climbing 10+ routes per day every day. :-/ To each his own. YOUR WAY is not THE WAY. Not everyone who occasionally buys new gear is a poser who is delusional about what said gear will do for them. And not everyone who sticks to their old crusty gear until it's falling apart is a hard journeyman who's got it all figured out. In regards to the OP's point, yes 'high-end' climbing shoes are getting pricey. But as some other folks have said, climbing is still a relatively inexpensive outdoor pursuit. It's hard for climbing gear costs to get me that worked up considering how much I've spent on backcountry ski gear in the past 5 years.

you dont NEED the new shiny gear to climb moderates

you WANT it ... and it doesnt generally make you a better climber, at least not as much as going out and climbing does

as long as you admit that, buy all the shiny new gear you want ;)

i have no problems with people buying new gear ... as long as they arent under the assumption that it makes em "better" =P

I agree...climbing shoes are too damn expensive! I am also disappointed with 5.10's quality and durability. I got a pair of the Hueco's at the beginning of this season and they ALREADY have a hole in the toe. Ridiculous. I'm gonna buy Italian from now on...

I've got a pair of 20 y/o Boreal Ballets with fresh Onxy on them. Best all day slab shoes I ever owned. In fact, I'm looking for another pair in 41.5 if anyone has a pair??

Sure man, that will be $170 US.

Anyone put more than three resoles on a pair of either solutions or muiras? I find that by the third resole they are about as dead as . . . could be a funny climbing joke but I will hold off on that one.

And Locker, yes, that rubber is better, but few people use their feet well enough to know.

Anyone put more than three resoles on a pair of either solutions or muiras? I find that by the third resole they are about as dead as . . . could be a funny climbing joke but I will hold off on that one.

I have a pair of Miuras that are on their third resole. They seem to be fine to me, and I wouldn't be surprised if they live through another resole or two...but maybe that's just because I forget how awesome new shoes are? =)

Ideally when operating a business you want to maintain your cost of goods sold between 40-60% of revenues. The lower a company can hold this percent the more they can put into research and development, advertising. Most importantly to ensure having health cash flows in case of a poor preforming quarter/year.

So just say that the company operates with a cost of goods sold at 50%. If it costs them $40 to produce the shoe, they will sell it for $80. The retailer will then operate in the same manor. So when they acquire the product for $80 they sell the shoe for $160.

Five Ten and other companies can not sell directly to you at a lower price because then no one would buy from retailers. Then retailers would no longer carry the product. This is not something that a shoe company wants because if they sell directly to the consumer, it is harder for customers to try on the product and less likely to buy. Also if the company is selling the majority of its product directly to consumer then they have to worry about a lot more billing issues (and the shipping too).

I do not like the cost of climbing shoes, I normally wear through a pair every three months (on one trip I went through a brand new pair in a week). But the companies are most likely getting more conscious about the health of their business, and adjusting for what seems to be a growing market.

Side note to this, if you do not pay for good product you do not get good product. Do not accept shoes for $75 that will be top notch, and if they are do not expect that the workers that made the shoe were treated well. Some costs are worth complaining about, so are not. Time to go eat ramen.